[Advaita-l] Pitupaksha questions

[Krunal Makwana]

Jai Sri Krsna

Namaste Srikantiji,

On 28 September 2011 12:06, Srikanta Narayanaswami <
srikanta.narayanaswami at yahoo.com> wrote:

I would like to know from you where I have flawed in my fundamental
> statement regarding karma and everything else is flawed.I want to
> know sincerely from you!


The flaw is simple, karma must be performed until brahma jnAna has been
established and experienced BUT until then all karma be it nitya, naimittika
must be performed. Obviously Kaamya karmas is dependent on the individual.


> You say,akarma or the nonperformance of action can only apply to those who
> have no sense of doership.I would like to know whether any person can remain
> without a sense of "Doership"?
>

Yes, most definitely. There are numerous verses in the BG of examples where
this is the case where we can directly or indirectly ascertain this is the
case (3.20,3.26,5.25).

There is one experience I can give as an example of how this feeling maybe.
Unfortunately due to my job role I sometimes have to travel, so I spend
majority of my life living on the motorway/highway. Sometimes whilst
driving, your mind finds a vacuum where there is no thought, no sense of
doing, not even a sense of direction, although you cannot deny I'm not awake
the sense of doership is gone, then suddenly after maybe 5 mins, you realise
'where am I, where was I all this time?' - I'm sure people who've spend time
on the road have had this feeling, where the body goes into auto-pilot mode.
This for me is a clear example, where the mind is absolved and is 'vacuumed'
but the body is still performing it's action with no sense of doership. -
hope this makes sense!


> Coming to the question of doing one's dharmic duties,I would like to know
> from you whether you are doing all these duties?


No, but my attempt is always there :)


> Donot reply as if you are in the crowd
>

There was no need for this statement.


> ,What is Brahmajnana.I am not mentioning the last stage of Brahmajnana or
> what it is like.All Iam saying is that if we halt or liger in the stage of
> performing only actions can we progress further?


Yes we can and we all eventually will! Sri Krsna emphatically states (3.35,
18.45-47) but we need not give up solely because we believe that in the
advaita path 'nothing' exists bar Brahman so we are absolved from our
duties! We must ensure that all our bounden duties and the three debts are
performed, yes I agree that after brahma jnAna nothing be achieved or even
done, however for the continuing the duty for future generations they are
performed in 'auto-pilot' mode. However until that point we must perform OUR
action for OUR chitta-shuddhi (purification of mind).


> I donot know what the present acharyas are doing now.


The present acaryas typify the life of jivan muktas, they are not in
the least-est bound to perform any action however just like Krsna says
(3.22) they do.


> You views on Karma shows how deeply with roots it has strongly embedded in
> your framework,and how difficult it is to uproot it.


I humbly disagree, if anything just as Sri Jaldharji said, Sri Arjuna wanted
to run away from 'karma' and his bounden duty however Lord Sri Krsna, the
greatest pramANa of all, dragged him back! This Karma is not 'strongly
embedded in' my framework but the framework Sri Krsna built which we even as
Vedantin's hold as uttama pramANa. Even  if we regard Sri Krsna not even as
God but as a jivan mukta mahapurusha even on this level he enforces Karma.

Now don't get me wrong that I think Karma is the be all and end all, but it
is a means and a practical means to chitta-shuddhi and all vedic literature
enjoin this.


> Vedantha,Jnanasiddhantha by SriShankaracharya and his predecessors is built
> on strong ontological foundation.


No doubt


> Karma theory is only forced upon us and doesnot even on Epistemological
> foundation.


Yes, but ask yourself why! Do you think that everyone is ready to know
themselves as Brahman, are you assuming everyone has the same motivation
for achieving nirvANa? The answer is no, why because again Sri Krsna says
that only a few strive and from those few only perchance one reaches the end
goal (7.2). The 'forced' that you mention is dharma because we must perform
out bounden duty based on the soteriology layed down in our scriptures,
regardless of any interpretation.


> I would ask you to study more on this and know for yourself.


I humbly heed your request and will endeavour to do so.

Krunal Makwana